Banana-carrier.



A. LOOK.

BANANA CARRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 10. 1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

INVENTEIFE.

% ATTORNEY.

ALBERT LOOK, OF VINEYARD HAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

BANANA-CARRIER.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Applicatioufiled July 10, 1908. SerialNo.-M2,969.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ALBERT Loon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vineyard Haven, in the county of Dukes, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Banana-Carrier, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a banana carrier which will at all times hold a bunch of bananas contained therein in an uprightposition, can be conveniently han dled and transported, will protect the bananas from being bruised, broken or otherwise injured, and which can be folded to small compass when not in use. These objects I attain by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my newly invented carrier with a bunch of bananas arranged therein for transportation or display. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing my carrier closed, as when not in use. Fig.3 is a view, partly in section, of my locking and suspending device, which performs the three-fold duties of suspending the carrier, suspending the bunch of bananas within the carrier, and locking the members of the carrier in either their open or closed positions. Fig. A is an edge view, partly in cross-section, illustrating one method of securing the ends of the stiffening band.

Similar reference letters and numerals indicate like parts where they occur in the drawings.

In the drawings A, A represent bows of substantially inverted Ushape, each bent or sawed or otherwise formed from a single piece of stock and each having, by reason of their shape, more or less resilience. The bow A is somewhat smaller in cross-section than the bow A, and is thereby adapted to be shut within the latter (as shown in Fig. 2) when the carrier is not in use, or when it is desirable to ship the carrier empty. Said two bows are pivotally secured together by a bolt Z), provided at its lower end with a hook 19 and having its upper free end threaded to engage with a nut terminating in a hook 32 Said nut and hook serve as a means for suspending the carrier and also as means for clamping the two bows together in either their open or closed positions, while said hook 6 serves as a means for supporting a bunch of bananas within the carrier.

A band, .0, preferably metallic, provided at one end, for purposes of adjustment, with a plurality of holes, 0 serially arranged, and at its opposite end with a thumb-screw, 0 is adapted to encircle the lower portion of saidbows A, A and to be drawn taut to hold and stiffen said bows when in their open position, and there secured by means of saidthumb-screw passed through one of said holes 0 and tapped into one of said bows. If preferred, said thumb-screw may engage directly with one of said holes 0 threaded to receive it. By this means the bunch of bananas is confined within said bows, and the latter are rendered more rigid, so that the carrier can be more easily handled, and will stand more firmly on the free ends of said bows, which, preferably, terminate with an outward flare to insure a broad and stable supporting base for the carrier.

For the better protection of the bananas in transportation, I provide a blanket or cover (not shown) adapted to be wrapped around the bunch of bananas and secured to hooks. or fastenings (not shown) arranged angles, to each other and in that position- (called the open position) secured by tightening up said check-nut; the open carrier is then suspended by the hook 6 a bunch of bananas is suspended from the hook 72 the blanket wrapped around said bunch and secured to said bows, and the band 0, is then passed around the legs of said bows and secured by the thumb-screw 0 and the whole is then ready to be taken down and shipped. The carrier will at all times stand upright on the ends of the bows, and will consequently hold the bunch of bananas suspended upright and protected from contact with otherbodies. It will be noted that the horseshoe or bow shape of the members A, A adapts the carrier especially to surround the contained bunch of bananas and protect them from injurious contact during transportation or handling. The carrier. also affords a cleanly and convenient means of exposing the bananas for sale, the covering blanket being removed for that purpose.

When the apparatus is not to be used for carrying bananas the check-nut b is slackened, the bow A shut within the bow A and the check-nut again tightened up. The apparatus is then in compact form ready for return shipment or for packing away.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A banana carrier consisting of two bows, substantially inverted U-shaped, pivotally connected at their bowed portions, one of said bows being of shorter cross-section than the other and adapted to be shut within the latter, said bows being arranged and adapted to be turned on their connecting pivot angularly to each other whereby their side members constitute the supporting legs of an upright containing stand or cage for a bunch of bananas suspending therein, combined with means for locking said bows together in their open and closed positions, means for suspending a bunch of bananas within said cage, and other means for suspending the whole from an overhead sup port.

2. A banana carrier consisting of two bows of substantially inverted U-shape, pivotally connected, one of said bows adapted to be turned upon said pivot to lie within the other bow in the same plane therewith and there secured, combined with a pivot and means for clamping the two bows together.

3. A banana carrier consisting of two bows pivotally connected at their closed portions, one of said bows adapted and arranged to fit within the other, said bows adapted to be turned upon their connecting pivot angularly to each other to constitute a stand or cage of which the side members of said bows constitute the supporting legs, means for locking said bows to thereby prevent pivotal movement, and means for seeuring the legs of said bows against lateral movements.

ALBERT LOOK. Vitnesses CARLTON NORTON, HERBERT LEE SMITH. 

